Toxic Day Plus Family Comfort
by AspiringAuthor29
Summary: Jack has 9 days left in his tour when him and Mac get sent to Mission City for classified reasons. And on this terrible day for Mac, Jack will learn just what makes up Mac's past. Army:pre-series


**Hey! This is a concept that I really love in a fanfiction about MacGyver, but sadly, I haven't found many people who have written about it. I know it sounds vague, but you will find out what I mean. I would really like to see more on this topic not only here, but also in the show. This is my take on how it happened. Enjoy!**

9 days.

That was how long Jack had left in his tour when two things happened. First, him and his EOD were sent stateside for a classified reason. Second, and probably more crucial, he learned about the past of one particularly skinny bomb nerd.

The two had just gotten off of the freeway in the heart of California and they were passing through a small town called "Mission City". It was one of those towns that reminded Jack of the places where everyone knew everyone else's business. The town was so small that it only had a small local police station, no state police barracks or anything like that.

Jack glanced over at his young EOD. The kid was barely twenty, and he had already seen so much in the Sandbox, it made Jack a bit sad sometimes. On the other hand, he chose to enlist, the same as everyone else did. He didn't need any pity just because he was a kid. He was tough, Jack had seen that firsthand, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a strong urge to protect the kid. Jack watched him wring his hands and squirm in his seat. He swore that the kid had ADHD, well except when it came to disarming bombs, then his hands were as steady as a surgeon's. Today it seemed that he was even more hyperactive than usual, as were Jack's thoughts. Jack chalked that up to being back in regular civilization for a few days and not knowing what to do with themselves.

"Hey hoss, how 'bout I pull off at the next gas station and pick up some snacks. How'd you feel about beef jerkey?" Jack asked trying to strike up a conversation with Mac. The kid just shrugged and turned to stare out the window. Okaaay, that was weird.

Jack pulled into the gas station parking lot and stopped the car to stare at the boy beside him. "Do want me to just run in, or do you want to come too?" Mac just shrugged again in response. "Okay, I'll take that as a no." Jack got out of the car and headed into the station in the hopes of finding some jalapeno jerkey. And maybe some of those veggie chips Mac liked.

**0000**

Mac glanced out around him. Of course, it HAD to be this gas station. The one directly across from the cemetery. If driving through his hometown on this day hadn't been enough, they had to stop at the closest place to the cemetery. Even though it was THIS day, Mac had the strangest urge to go see the grave. He was only going to be in town a few more minutes before they got back on the freeway, and who knew how long it might be before he had another chance to come see it. Heck, he might be seeing its inhabitant in person the next time he got a chance to come and see it. You never knew in his line of work. With one last glance around, seeing that Jack was still aimlessly roaming around the store, Mac opened the door and headed toward the small field of headstones.

**0000**

Jack came out of the convenience store holding a bag with jalapeno jerkey and veggie chips. "Hey, kid, I got-" Jack trailed off as he realized that he was speaking to an empty car. "No, no, no, not here, not when we just got some time off. Where are you, bud?" the mantra played over and over in his head as he whipped his head from side to side, searching for his bomb tech. He noted that there were no blood spots anywhere, nor signs of a struggle, so the kid was probably not kidnapped. It was probably not a good thing that not being kidnapped brought Jack relief. The hazards of the job. That's when he noticed it.

Across the street in the cemetery a figure knelt before a gravestone. Jack wouldn't have blinked an eye at the mourner if it hadn't been for that oh so familiar brown leather jacket. Before he even knew what he was doing, Jack took off towards his EOD, knowing something was definitely wrong. He wouldn't have stopped either, if it wasn't for the soft words of the boy that were projected towards the marble headstone. Jack stopped for a moment and leaned against a tree, listening.

"Hi, mom. It's been a long time since I've come to visit you and I'm sorry, but things got tough after dad left. I should probably tell you what's been going on with me. I enlisted as an EOD tech in Afghanistan. I know, that probably wasn't what you had in mind for me, but it just felt right. I hope you're proud. Every time I go into an active mine field or something like that, I always think about you. You motivate me to do my best and not to worry about dying, even if it's scary. I know that if I do die, you'll be there, I just hope you won't be mad. I doubt that I will be dying anytime soon, though. I have the best overwatch ever. I love him like family, he's like my big brother maybe even a father figure. The only problem is that I don't think he likes me very much."

Jack listened to Mac's little speech in stunned silence. So many things hit Jack at the same time. Mac's mom was dead? He took a glance at the gravestone for the first time since he had gotten here.

**In Loving Memory of**

**Ellen MacGyver**

**1972-1997**

**Beloved mother of one and faithful wife.**

As Jack read the inscription, the pieces fell into place. Mac's mom had died when she was only twenty-five. Jack knew that Mac had been born in '92, so Mac had only been five when his mom had died! And apparently the kid's dad had walked out too! The only question was, why was Mac's mom buried here of all places? And there was the next problem. Mac thought that Jack didn't like him. As Jack reflected back on the weeks prior to when they got here, he realized that he had been a real jerk to the kid, more than he deserved. Deep down though, Jack had started to think of the kid as family, and not knowing what to do with the feelings, he just harassed the kid some more. Even so, Mac didn't deserve most of the stuff Jack said to him, especially with this newest development. Man, he owed the kid one big, fat, Texas sized apology. For now, he turned back to the blond boy in front of him.

"You know, I feel sorry for myself sometimes, I know it's selfish and it's not often, but all the people in my life that I care about end up leaving me. You died when I was so young that I barely remember you. That makes me hate myself for being selfish and guilty for not remembering. I can barely think today. All of my emotions and thoughts are kind of just swirling around in my head, drowning me. Dad couldn't deal with your death and then he just up and left on my tenth birthday. After that Grandpa raised me, but he was so upset when I enlisted and then he died only a few months later. My EOD mentor, Pena, died in a bomb explosion that was meant for me. No matter what anyone says, that is my fault, so that's just another thing I feel hopelessly guilty about. And now, Jack's going to leave in 9 days. See, everyone leaves me. I know that you taught me better than that, feeling sorry for myself, but it's starting to wear me down. I don't know what I'm going to do when Jack does leave because then I'll be absolutely alone."

Jack listened to the boy with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He had no idea that the kid was all alone in the world. Nor did he know that he was harboring all of those mixed up emotions inside his big heart. Jack was slowly learning that MacGyver's heart was nearly as big as his brain and it just refused to leave anyone behind. Jack wanted to run up to the kid and hug him, comfort him, but he knew that he needed to let Mac talk himself out.

"One thing that I do remember about you is that you always smelled like lilacs, they were your favorite. I remember the night before you died. You and I were snuggled up in your hospital bed together and I was reading a chapter book to you. You always let me read books out loud to you. When I was done, you said, 'You're going to be extraordinary, Angie. You can change the world your brain and your heart. Please do something that hasn't been done before. Save lives, build skyscrapers, cure diseases, something, just don't waste your talents. I love you so much, sweetie.' I left after that and Dad told me the next morning that you had passed. I understood even back then, but it didn't really hit me until I was a little older, like now. I love you and miss you a lot, Mom. Happy Birthday." Mac couldn't hold the tears back anymore, he let them flow freely. He didn't even care that Jack was probably looking for him right now. He was just so lost in his misery that nothing seemed to matter. He just let himself wallow in his pain.

Jack couldn't hold himself back anymore. He made himself known and cautiously sat down beside Mac. He knew that the kid knew that he was there, but the latter made no acknowledgement towards him. Taking that as an okay to continue, Jack wrapped his arms around the slim shoulders and silently held the boy for a few moments. Eventually, Mac relaxed and folded into Jack's embrace. Mac shoulders shook, and for the first time, Jack heard the mighty MacGyver sob into his arms. Jack rather liked the change. It made Mac seem more like the kid he really was and Jack like the protector.

After a few more moments of sobbing and Jack soothingly rubbing circles on the kid's back, Mac finally pulled himself away from Jack and looked up at him. His eyes were red and puffy, as was his nose. The reddest part of him was his cheek's though. They were literally on fire with embarrassment. "Sorry," he mumbled, not meeting Jack's eyes.

Jack's heart broke right then and there. "What for?" he asked gently maneuvering Mac's chin so he was looking into two baby blues. "For being such a baby," Mac whispered. Jack was momentarily taken aback by this. What had the world done to this kid? He thought crying over his dead mom made him a baby? Heck, Jack still cried over his dad and he had actually known him and was at least double MacGyver's age.

"Kid, I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. It was wrong for me to treat you the way I've been lately. I'm a real a** and I know it. It's okay to cry over lost loved ones too. You shouldn't feel any shame in that and anyone who tells you otherwise is an idiot. I am so, so sorry. Now, you want to tell me what your mom's grave is doing in this little hole of a town?" Jack was still holding Mac, and he pulled him in for another embrace.

"I grew up here in Mission City. This is where my mom died, so she was buried here. How much of my talk did you here exactly?" Mac asked still with a hint of embarrassment.

"I heard enough, and kid, I want you to know that I like you a lot and that I was starting to consider you family too. After this whole ordeal, you are DEFINETLY a part of my family, brother." Jack said passionately, "Now, what do you say we go eat some jerkey and we can tell each other some more about each other."

Jack helped Mac to stand, but still kept his arms securely around the boy's shoulders. He looked down at that amazing face, those intelligent blue eyes, that he had grown to love so much. There was no way that he could possibly leave this kid, but they would cross that bridge when they got to it.

**I'm actually pretty proud of this, although Mac may be a little ooc. I feel like I got Jack pretty well, though. Let me know would ya? Hope you liked it!**


End file.
